Background The scientific community has come to the conclusion that greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere due to anthropogenic activities, will increase the average planetary temperature with serious consequences for the stability and balance of the climate. A key priority of the 6th Environment Action Programme of the European Community will be the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 8% over 1990 levels by 2008-2012. This must be considered as a first step to the long-term target of a 70% cut. The combustion of fossil fuels is one of the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions. On the contrary, the cycle of growth and combustion of biomass is short enough to be considered a zero level carbon dioxide production. Promoting the use of renewable energy instead of fossil fuels is one of the areas of action of the European Community to combat climate change. This project targets the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, by implementing and validating a GIS-based planning tool for biomass exploitation in thermal plants. Objectives The aim of the project was to design, implement and validate an innovative GIS tool to optimise land-use development and planning for the effective exploitation of biomass resources as combustible in thermal power plants. The project was to promote the efficient management of forestry and agricultural land, and the integration of agriculture with industrial activities, thus contributing to sustainable and socio-economic development. Furthermore, it would evaluate biomass productivity as well as the optimal locations for biomass plants in Tuscany. The tool would also calculate the expected CO2 emission reduction from bioenergy. The GIS, integrated with the Regional Energy Plan, would support the local authorities (regional department, energy agencies) involved in environmental management and energy planning, to define and implement a strategy in support of clean and green energy production. Results The project designed, implemented and validated a GIS tool to optimise land-use development and planning for the effective exploitation of biomass resources as combustible in thermal power plants. The project promoted, through dissemination at the regional level, the efficient management of forestry and agricultural land, and the integration of agriculture with industrial activities, thus contributing to sustainable and socio-economic development. The project evaluated biomass productivity as well as the optimal locations for hypothetical biomass plants in Tuscany. The tool can also calculate the expected CO2 emission reduction from the utilisation of bio-energy. The intention was that the GIS, integrated with the Regional Energy Plan, would support the local authorities (regional department, energy agencies) involved in environmental management and energy planning, to define and implement strategy in support of clean and green energy production. This tool was made available to the Regional Authorities, however to date it has not been included in the Regional Energy Plan. 2. Environmental policy and legislation implications The EU directive 2001/77 – Promotion of electric power produced by using renewable energy sources - is of particular relevance to the activities of the project. 3. Innovation, demonstration value The innovative aspect of the project is a practical application of the territorial data processing system (GIS) for planning policies regarding biomass exploitation. To date GIS use for biomass has always been applied by resources institutes and universities but never by the public bodies interested in getting a real benefit from the state of the art technologies. However, since the project does not use a new technology, the innovation can be described as being average. Progress in relation to the present situation is also described as average: supplementary activities are required, independent of the LIFE programme, in order to bring lasting and significant changes to the state of environment. The potential for reproducing the project methodology is considerable (biomass is one major option for CO2 reduction) and the dissemination of activities is therefore a key aspect. 4. Socio-economic effects The impact of bio-energy on employment is a peculiar feature of this type of renewable energy. It is estimated that biomass can generate at the EU level: · 8 new jobs per Mwel (short rotation forestry) · 5,5 new jobs per Mwel (herbaceous crops) (source: EUBIA, European Biomass Industry Association) These jobs are permanent (more than 400.000 potentially net new jobs). In Tuscany, the expected new jobs created by the potential exploitation of biomass is estimated to be around 5.700 new jobs. 5. The future: sustainability and continuation of the project + remaining threats The future development of the project methodology depends on the practical application by the Regional Authorities of the BIOSIT tools within their Energy Plan. All the elements to do so were made available by the LIFE project however the actual implementation was beyond the actual scope and objective of the project and is more a case of the political willingness of the public administrators. The project partner, ETA, organised the 2nd World Conference and Technology Exhibition on Biomass for Energy, Industry and Climate Protection on 10-14 May 2004. At that occasion, the project results were disseminated. 6. Long term monitoring indicators (for ex-post evaluations) The actual use of the tools developed by the project and their integration in the regional energy plans will be the main long-term indicators. According to latest information from the LIFE external monitoring team in 2005, project partner, ETA Renewable Energies, a privately-owned company in Florence, organised the 2nd World Conference and Technology Exhibition on Biomass for Energy, Industry and Climate Protection held on 10-14 May 2004, in Rome, Italy. The LIFE project results were disseminated at this important international gathering. More recently, following the localisation of biomass resources in Tuscany, two more power plants are to be built in the Mugello area. The size of the plan